New Hope
by Smurf2005
Summary: It had been four since Ichigo had said goodbye to Ryou. But, now she has come back to Tokyo to help her mom, who had been hurt. She vows that she will ignore Ryou. Will it work? Part 1 of 2. IchigoxRyou.
1. Part One

A/N: Hello all! Smurf2005 with a new story! I hope you all have been waiting patiently! This is the long awaited sequal to _Never Regretting _and _Giving Up Hurts the Most. _It's been kinda warm outside and I have been staying in, so I decided to work on this! The name of this story is a name of song from the _Gundam Wing _series. It's background music, so, it's not very well known. If you heard the song (and you had watched the series), you would know , I hope you all enjoy my story!

Disclaimer: I do not own _Tokyo Mew Mew. _Mia Ikumi and Reiko Yoshida does. If I did... well... Let's just say, they won't be for little kids. Hehe.

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New Hope

It had been four years. Four years since I said good bye to the one I loved. I wanted to forget about him and move on, but I couldn't. No matter what I did, I couldn't move on. Ryou had a grip on my heart that was so strong. I didn't think there was anything that could make me forget about him. After that fateful encounter in Tokyo, I had stayed in Osaka. I got an apartment here, and had my parents visit me. They asked me once to visit them in Tokyo and I told them I couldn't, and they never asked me to visit again. I was currently packing my belongings into boxes getting ready to go back to Tokyo. My mom had been in an accident, and she needed my help around the house. So, I didn't really want to go back, but I had to. There was a chance I might see Ryou, but that was a chance I had to take. I paused in my packing and looked out the window. I was going to miss Osaka, but my family needed me. I had just finished packing my last box when my dad arrived at my apartment. We loaded everything into his car, then headed off to Tokyo.

It was a quiet ride. We hardly spoke, and when we did speak, it only lasted for a few seconds. I stared out the window and thought about how I was going to avoid Ryou. It was unlikely that I would see him, but it wasn't impossible. I had decided that if I saw him, I would just ignore him and pretend like I didn't know him. But, the feelings I had for him were strong, so I wasn't sure if I could keep it up. I had to though. After awhile, I could see the buildings of Tokyo looming in the distance and my heart started to beat fast. I was getting closer and closer to Ryou. I watched the buildings draw nearer and my anxiety grew.

As we drove through Tokyo, I tried to catch a glimpse of him or the girls, but I saw nothing. I saw the places I had gone to with Masaya. I saw the zoo, the museum, and the aquarime. Then, I spotted it. I saw the cute cafe I worked in as a teenager. My dad stopped in front of it and turned the car off.

"Dad, why did we stop?" I asked, fear building up inside me.

"I thought maybe you could get your old job back. I know it has been five since you last worked here, but your good friends with the owner. I'm sure you can get it back. And I am kind of hungry," he said, looking over me.

He was smiling and when he saw my face, his face turned into a mask of concern.

"Ichigo?" he asked. "Are you okay?"

I was struggling to hold back the tears that were threatening to escape.

"Dad, I want to go home. I can't go back in there. I can never go back in there," I said.

"What? Why? Ichigo, what happened?"

"I feel in love with Ryou," I whispered.

"So, I suppose that's the reason you didn't want to come home all these years. Now it all makes sense," he said.

He started up the car and he drove us home. When we got home, I left my stuff in the car and went inside. Mom was sitting at the table, talking to a neighbor. The neighbor was cooking dinner, and mom's cructhes were propped up against a nearby wall.

"Hi, Mom," I said.

My mom looked over at me and smiled.

"Welcome back, Ichigo," she said.

I walked over to her and gave her a hug and it seemed like all my worries went away. After we ate, I washed the dishes, then helped my dad bring my stuff in. I was back in my childhood room. It hadn't changed at all. I suspected my mom kept it clean in hopes that I was going to come home soon. I walked over to the window and looked outside. The sun was setting and it was almost breathtaking. I decided to take a walk. I was feeling restless being cooped up in the house.

I walked aimlessly around Tokyo for hours, avoiding places I thought Ryou and the girls might frequent. As I was heading home, I walked past the road the cafe was on, once again, not realizing where I was.

"Ichigo?" a voice said behind me.

I froze. That was Ryou's voice. I shook my head and kept walking. I was going to stick my inital plan to ignore him. As I walked, I heard footsteps behind me. I could tell he was following me. I quickened my pace before I broke into a run. Why did this always happen to me? Why do I keep finding myself near the cafe? Why do I keep running into Ryou like this? It can't be fate. I don't believe in fate. The footsteps behind me were growing louder and I pressed on. I didn't want to see Ryou. I couldn't see him. I knew if I saw him, I wouldn't be able to keep ignoring him.

"Ichigo!" I heard him yell. "Stop running from me, damn it!"

I was so shocked that I stopped running and actually turned to face him. All these years I knew him, I had never heard him say a swear word. It had been four years since I last saw him, and he had changed slightly. He was the same height, and his hair was still golden, but his usually bright sapphire eyes were dull and he looked thiner.

"Ryou," I whispered.

"Thank God you stopped running from me," he said.

He took a few steps toward me and I stood rooted to the spot. I couldn't move; it was like his gaze held me there. He stopped a few feet from me and looked me over. He smiled and looked down at the ground.

"Your hair is longer," he said. "But, you still wear it in those pigtails."

I didn't say anything. I didn't know what to say to that. He looked up at me, and I noticed his eyes were a little brighter than when I had first seen him.

"Well, I should be going. My mom needs my help," I lied quickly.

The longer I stood here, the weaker my resolve. I turned around and took a step, but stopped when his hand grabbed my arm.

"Please, Ichigo. Don't leave me again," he said.

I couldn't move. His voice kept my feet rooted to the spot. I turned around to face him.

"I'm sorry, Ryou. Go back to Lettuce," I said, turning my back on him.

I pulled my hand out his grip and started on my way home again.

"Ichigo! Stop! Please! I need to tell you something," he said, following me.

"There is nothing you can say to me now," I said turning to face him, tears welling up in my eyes. "Before I left, I told you how I felt. But, you didn't say anything! To me that was like being rejected! I was rejected by the man I loved. Do you know how much that hurt?"

He watched me with those blue eyes I loved so much.

"I'm sorry," he said, childishly.

I let out a cynical laugh as I fixed my tear-filled brown eyes on his.

"Do you really think after all these years, saying sorry is going to make me feel better?"

"No! I don't think that at all! It's just that... I didn't realize how much I hurt you until I saw you four years ago. When you told me goodbye, it felt like my life was ending. I don't want to experince that again."

"What about the first time I said goodbye to you? Did it feel like your life was ending there, too?" I asked sarcasticly.

Ryou shook his hand and looked down at his feet.

"I was confused then. I didn't know what my feelings were. I never did tell the girl I loved that I loved her. Ever since that day, I regretted not telling her. The next time I saw her, I was going to tell her, but things happened that prevented me from telling her how I felt."

He lapsed into silence and I stayed quiet. I could hear bugs buzzing around and cars driving past. There was even a couple across the street that was laughing, but we were quiet.

"Why don't you tell her now?" I asked.

The feeling of hope was rising in my heart now. This was a feeling I hadn't felt for a long time. I wasn't completly sure he was going to tell me he loved me. But, I couldn't quash this feeling that was burning in my heart. He looked up at me, his eyes boring into mine.

"Ichigo, I love you."

The End

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A/N: He he he he. Well, I guess this the last sequal. I am planning on writing a second chapter to this. Let's see how I feel. Took me awhile to finish since I have had writers block. I have been reading alot of shojo manga. I finished reading all of _Chibi Vampire_and I am getting reading to read some more. I have 31 books on hold at my local library, and all of them are shojo manga. Except one. That one is an _Alice's Adventures in Wonderland/Through the Looking Glass_book. Anyways, quiet a few of them I will be getting pretty soon. I checked and I had between 10-20 already on it's way. Right at this moment, I have been fangirling all over _The Gentlemen's Allicance Cross._I just read Volume 4 and let me just say this: Shizumasa-sama is a DOUCHE BAG (by the way, I know all about Shizun's "shadow")! Anyways, there will be no Mew Mew Crew for you. My back is sore and I am going to lie down. Please read and review! Remember, I accept constructive critisim, but I do not accept flames.


	2. Part Two

A/N: Hello all! Here is part two to _New Hope._ I hope you all enjoy it. I really have nothing to say except that I have been playing Harvest Moon a lot. It's kinda addicting... Sorry got distracted. Well, enjoy my story!

Disclaimer: I do not own _Tokyo Mew Mew. _Mia Ikumi and Reiko Yoshida does. If I did... well... Let's just say, they won't be for little kids. Hehe.

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New Hope: Part Two

I was stunned. I really wasn't expecting Ryou to tell me that he loved me. The part of me that wasn't stunned was actually really happy. I loved Ryou and now I hear that he loves me, too. But, after everything I went through, I didn't know if I could accept his love. There were many times when I had dreamed about this, and now that it was actually happening, I couldn't believe it. I stood there staring at Ryou and then out of nowhere, fear took hold of me. I didn't know what I was afraid of. Ryou looked at me and took the few steps to reach me. Then without warning, he hugged me. My heart started to pound faster and faster; it felt like it was about to pop out of my chest. I pushed Ryou away and took a step back from him.

"Ichigo? What's wrong?" he asked.

As I looked at Ryou, I had a flashback to the time when Masaya had hugged me and I pushed him away because of my cat ears. I remember the look on Masaya's face and the look on Ryou's reminded me strongly of that. I took a step from him, then another. Then I started to run away. That seemed to be all I could do now. All I have been doing was run away. I didn't want to run away, but I couldn't stop myself. I could hear him behind me. I turned a corner and found myself at a dead end. I turned to look at Ryou who had just caught up with me. I couldn't see his face, and to be honest, that frightened me a bit. I walked backwards until I backed into the wall, and all the while, Ryou was following. He closed the short distance between us and slammed his hands on the wall on either side of my head.

"Why, Ichigo?" he asked. "Why do you run away from me?"

His sapphire blue eyes were clouded over with pain. I knew I had to tell him.

"To be honest, Ryou, I am afraid," I said.

"Afraid of what?" he asked me.

"I'm afraid of getting hurt. I had been hurt by you, and I don't want to experience that feeling again. Seeing you with Lettuce all those years ago was like a blow to the stomach. I don't expect you to understand the pain I went through."

Ryou was quiet for a minute while he studied my face. Then he leaned down and kissed me. I was so surprised that I didn't have time to react. He pulled away and looked at me.

"Ichigo, I know the pain you went through when you saw me with Lettuce. I felt it every time I saw you with you with Masaya. Then I felt it when you left for Osaka the first time, then again when you left me four years ago. I was never truly happy with Lettuce. I was with her to help me forget about you, and she knew it. But, your back now and I want you. You don't need to be afraid. I will never hurt you again. Please, you gotta believe me, Ichigo."

I was quiet after what Ryou said. There was a big part of me that wanted to believe him, then there was a smaller part that said not to. As I thought it over, the part that told me to believe him won and I looked up into his face.

"I will believe you. Please, don't hurt me again. And I will never hurt you either," I whispered.

He hugged me and I could feel how warm his body was.

"I love you, Ichigo," he whispered.

"I love you, too, Ryou."

The End

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A/N: Well, what did you all think of part two? I promise that the sequels are all over now. _New Hope_ was the last one. I know this was a little shorter than what I normally write, but I found it hard to keep it going. Sorry about that. Anyways, my birthday is on Sunday, and the library is closed, so I will be posting my birthday story on Saturday. It's a secret as to what it is. He he. Next Monday, I am going shopping with me Grandma, so maybe I can get some manga. The last time I checked, my boyfriend bought me a dating sim game and possibly a necklace. I'm looking forward to that. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this story. Please read and review! Remember, I accept constructive criticism, but I do not accept flames. See you all on Saturday!


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